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One thing Paul Toboni has made clear is that he values every single spot on the 40-man roster. He is happy to use the waiver wire and uses every spot on the 40-man. It is becoming clear that there will be a lot of churn on the backend of the 40-man roster this year.

Yesterday was a good example of this churn. Toboni claimed Richard Lovelady off of waivers. To clear a 40-man spot, he DFA’d Mickey Gasper, who was just claimed nine days ago. It is becoming apparent that we should not get too attached to any of the players on the fringes of the 40-man. They could be gone in an instant.

Richard Lovelady is a good example of what life is like for a fringe 40-man roster player. In the past 12 months, Lovelady has been DFA’d five times. So, I would not get too attached to this player. 

Lovelady has some interesting characteristics. He has great extension down the mound and gets ground balls. At points in his career, he has been a serviceable reliever, which the Nats need. He had a nice 28 outing stint with the Rays in 2024. Lovelady could be a factor in the Nats bullpen as a lefty, but he also could be DFA’d next week if Toboni finds someone on the waiver wire he finds more appealing.

Just churning through these players seems odd and a bit cruel, but there is a method to the madness. If these guys pass through waivers, they remain in the organization and can pitch in the minors. These fringe 40 man players tend to be good in AAA, so they provide valuable organizational depth.

Some of these players are just claimed to be DFA’d again, but others can make a real impact. Mike Rizzo did not use the waiver wire a ton, but he found a couple nice pieces when he did use it. Robert Garcia and Hunter Harvey were both waiver claims who had nice spells in DC.

Paxton Schultz is the claim from this winter I am most excited about. The Nats claimed him off of waivers from the Blue Jays, and I think he is really interesting. He was a serviceable arm in 24.2 MLB innings last year and I think he can be a big league contributor. Schultz has a solid four pitch mix and a fastball that generates whiffs. He can also pitch in a number of different roles.

Gus Varland is also a pitcher I like, but I am not as confident in him. In 2024, Varland was effective in 26 outings, but had an injury plagued 2025. His fastball sits at 95 and has carry at the top of the zone.

Toboni has also claimed a few position players. Tsung–Che Cheng and Joey Wiemer are both strong defenders who could be bench pieces. Like Gasper, I would not be surprised if either of these players are DFA’d in the coming weeks.

As we enter the season, I think Toboni will continue to be active on waivers. The Nationals have chosen not to be big spenders in recent years, so they have to find creative ways to acquire talent. Toboni has been getting creative this offseason. He has been active on the waiver wire and even made a rare prospect for prospect swap this offseason.

Last offseason, the Nats did not make any waiver claims. Instead, they filled the back of their roster with guys like Lucas Sims and Colin Poche. Those players had guaranteed contracts, so they got more time despite awful results. 

This is a different way of doing things. It is more analytically inclined and forward thinking. Some of this is dumpster diving, but there is not much to lose. If things don’t work out, these players are easy to get rid of and if they hit, you get a cheap asset. As a real baseball sicko, these moves are also fun to follow.

Life after Ranger: Evaluating Painter, Phillies' 2026 rotation originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Starting pitching has been the Phillies’ bread and butter over the past two seasons.

Since the start of 2024, the Phillies own a tied-for-league-best .590 winning percentage, and their starting pitchers have driven much of that success. Over that span, Philadelphia ranks first in the National League in ERA (3.69) and opponents’ OPS (.691) and second in Major League Baseball in strikeouts (1,817).

With pitchers and catchers reporting in just under two weeks, it’s fair to evaluate this staff a bit differently than in years past. Ranger Suárez is now in Boston, leaving the staff with one fewer reliable arm.

The margin between the rotation and the bullpen has narrowed. The relief group appears deeper and more stable, while legitimate questions exist near the back end of the rotation.

Those questions, however, do not begin at the top.

Sánchez enters 2026 as the ace

Cristopher Sánchez is positioned for another dominant season in his first year as the Phillies’ unquestioned ace and projected Opening Day starter.

Sánchez went 13-5 in 2025 with a 2.50 ERA and a league-leading 8.0 bWAR, completing his first 200-inning season — a “personal goal” he had entering the year. His profile remains unique, relying on a three-pitch mix that saw velocity gains across the board last season.

His best weapon continues to be his changeup, particularly against right-handed hitters. Since 2023, opposing batters have hit just .169 against the pitch. Sánchez leaned into it even more last season, increasing its usage by five percent to 37.4 percent.

Given his year-over-year growth and command profile, Sánchez appears poised to pitch himself into another Cy Young-caliber season and remains one of the most effective left-handed starters in baseball.

Luzardo enters a pivotal contract year

Entering his contract year, Jesús Luzardo is positioned to take on added responsibility following Suárez’s departure.

While his first season in Philadelphia featured inconsistency, it also showcased the ceiling that made him a priority acquisition. Over his first 11 starts in 2025, Luzardo posted a 2.15 ERA — sixth-best in the Majors during that stretch. His final 11 starts mirrored that performance, producing a 2.84 ERA and a 2.65 FIP.

Between those two runs, however, came a difficult 10-start stretch in which Luzardo recorded an 8.04 ERA — the worst mark in baseball during that span (Luis Severino ranked second at 6.37).

Despite the turbulence, Luzardo’s NLDS Game 2 start against the Dodgers helped reset the narrative. After entering the postseason with a 7.71 ERA across three career playoff starts, he delivered six innings of two-run ball in a high-leverage environment.

Luzardo led the Phillies in wins (15) and starts (32) last season. With Suárez gone and a contract year looming, Philadelphia will lean heavily on him to provide consistency behind Sánchez.

Wheeler’s health looms large

From there, the rotation becomes less certain.

Zack Wheeler’s outlook remains difficult to project. While the vascular form of surgery used to address thoracic outlet syndrome has produced improved outcomes historically, Wheeler will turn 36 at the end of May and has openly discussed the possibility of retirement when he reaches free agency in 2028.

There has been progress, but no guarantees.

“I don’t know where Wheeler’s going to be at spring training,” manager Rob Thomson said recently. “He’s out to 90 feet right now. He looks good, but there’s no guarantees when he’s going to get up on the mound or when he eventually will.”

If Wheeler is ready for Opening Day, expecting roughly 170 quality innings is reasonable, though expectations must be tempered given the injury. An ERA in the 3.30–3.50 range would represent solid No. 2 starter production, and his postseason track record only increases his value if healthy.

Nola searching for consistency

For Aaron Nola, effectiveness remains the primary concern, even after an injury-riddled 2025.

Before landing on the injured list with a right ankle sprain, Nola made nine starts and posted a 6.16 ERA. A subsequent rib injury delayed his return, and his first four starts back were even rougher, producing an 8.38 ERA.

His final four starts, however, offered some optimism. Over that stretch, Nola posted a 3.91 ERA and a 3.29 FIP, convincing Thomson to hand him the ball in Game 3 of the NLDS. Nola responded with two scoreless innings before giving way to Suárez.

Nola is just one year removed from leading the league with 33 starts and posting a 3.57 ERA. With a full offseason and Spring Training — including participation with Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic — the Phillies would gladly accept production in that range from a projected fourth starter.

Walker vs. Painter at the back end

If Wheeler is available to begin the season, the Phillies’ preference is clear: competition for the fifth rotation spot between Taijuan Walker and Andrew Painter.

That preference may already be leaning one direction, though. “You’ve got Sánchez, Luzardo, Nola, Taijuan and Painter, and I like those guys,” Thomson said. “Wheeler’s not far behind.”

Walker and Painter occupying the back end of the rotation presents different challenges.

Walker, now 33, has posted a 4.88 ERA across three seasons with Philadelphia. His struggles against high-end competition have been particularly pronounced. Since 2023, he owns a 6.67 ERA in 21 starts against playoff teams, with opponents hitting .306.

Walker is in the final year of his four-year, $72 million contract, and Wheeler’s uncertainty complicates any effort to move him via trade.

As a starter, expectations should be modest. Walker did find success in relief last season, posting a 3.15 ERA in 13 bullpen outings while holding opponents to a .647 OPS.

Painter represents the higher-upside option, but questions remain. In his first full season following Tommy John surgery — which cost him two years — command proved to be the biggest obstacle.

At the Major League level last season, none of the 339 pitchers who threw at least 50 innings finished with a first-pitch strike rate below 50 percent.

In the minors, Painter posted a 48.8 percent first-pitch strike rate, allowing hitters to sit in fastball counts. This would have tied the lowest big-league percentage since 2021. That lack of early-count control was a major factor in his 5.40 ERA at Triple-A.

If MLB’s No. 28 prospect can stay ahead in counts, his six-pitch arsenal certainly plays. Spring Training will offer the Phillies a clearer evaluation of whether Painter is ready.

Depth options and outside possibilities

If Walker struggles, Painter isn’t ready, or injuries arise, the Phillies may need to explore alternatives.

Internally, starting options on the 40-man roster are limited but notable. Seth Johnson, converted to relief last season, had a strong 2024 as a starter, posting a 2.73 ERA in 95.2 innings across 25 starts at Double-A and Triple-A. Alan Rangel made 25 Triple-A starts last season and recorded a 4.55 ERA.

Hard-throwing Yoniel Curet, acquired this winter, possesses big-league velocity but profiles more naturally as a bullpen arm due to command concerns. Jean Cabrera and Moisés Chace have also found success at Double-A and could push for consideration with strong springs.

Free agency still offers veteran depth options willing to accept minor-league deals with guaranteed-elevators. Former Phillie Walker Buehler, Tony Gonsolin and José Urquidy remain available, though a significant signing appears unlikely unless Walker is moved.

The outlook

The Phillies’ rotation should remain a strength.

It’s anchored by an ace, supported by veterans who should be healthier than they were six months ago, includes two pitchers in contract years, and features one of the highest-upside rookie arms in the game.

Spring Training will provide clarity, but with J.T. Realmuto back behind-the-plate, there is ample reason for optimism, even with the questions that remain.

20. Ashly Andujar (197 points, 18 ballots)

Andujar was the headliner of Colorado’s international free agent class in January 2024, earning a $1.7 million bonus as the 18th ranked international prospect at MLB.com as a well-rounded offensive and defensive player with good bat to ball skills who was likely to stay as an up the middle defender.

The 18-year-old 6’1” switch-hitting shortstop spent his first professional season in the Dominican Summer League as expected (since he was one of the youngest players in his signing class), where he was 1.8 years younger than league average. In 229 plate appearances, Andujar fit right in with a .292/.376/.352 line that included ten extra-base hits and 17 steals in 25 attempts, good for a 105 wRC+. On defense, Andujar committed 14 errors in 45 games at shortstop.

The Rockies liked what they saw enough to bring Andujar stateside to the Arizona Complex League in 2025, where he was 2.6 years younger than average, and he looked like a natural on a strong ACL Rockies team. In 217 plate appearances, Andujar again had good contact numbers without much power, hitting .319/.370/.356 with seven doubles and seven steals (which is a 97 wRC+). Andujar walked in 7% of his plate appearances and struck out in 14% of them. Andujar was the primary shortstop for the ACL team, committing 11 errors in 53 games at the position.

Andujar didn’t turn 18 until after the season and indeed didn’t face a pitcher who was younger than him all year. That’s one of the reasons Andujar’s offensive performance, despite a lack of thump, was a very impressive showing in his stateside debut. The trajectory of Andujar’s season was encouraging as well: he went from a .610 OPS in May to .716 in June and .860 in July.

Here is a recent slo-mo look at Andujar’s left-handed swing:

Here is some video of Andujar before he signed with the Rockies, including some looks at him at shortstop and his swing from both sides of the plate:

Eric Longenhagen at FanGraphs grades Andujar as a 40+ FV prospect, 15th in the system, with a plus run grade and a 55 future hit and field tool evaluation:

Amateur Andujar was billed as a speedy, contact-oriented infielder who should be a long-term shortstop fit, and that remains true. He only K’d 13.5% of the time last year and slashed .291/.376/.352. He is still very skinny and frail looking, but at just 17, that’s fine. The foundation of a good baseball player is here, now Andujar needs to layer on strength. It might take a few years yet, but once he does that, he should break out.

MLB Pipeline ranks Andujar 28th in the system as a 40 FV player, giving him a 55 on his arm and fielding ability:

One of the youngest players in the class who didn’t turn 17 until late July, Andujar certainly has time to figure things out. He starts out with a pretty good feel for hitting from both sides of the plate. He can find the barrel routinely and makes a ton of contact. He struck out just 13.5 percent of the time, isn’t afraid to hit behind in the count and even drew some walks. He needs to add strength so he can impact the ball more, even if power isn’t ever a big part of his game after slugging .352 in his debut.

More strength should also augment Andujar’s speed. He likes to run despite having just average speed at present and he moves well defensively at shortstop. He has good hands and an arm that could develop into a plus for him at the premium position. His ability to slow the game down gives him an even better overall defensive package and something he can lean on to help his team win if his bat is slow to develop.

Keith Law of the Athletic wrote this about Andujar last February:

Shortstop Ashly Andujar signed for a $1.7 million bonus last January for his potential as a switch-hitter with plus defense at a tough position. He hit .291/.376/.352 in the DSL with just a 14 percent strikeout rate, with solid swings that generate line drives and should eventually lead to doubles power. He could move quickly to Low A if this plate discipline is real.

As an up-the-middle player who was a seven-figure international signee, Andujar is joining a recent tradition of PuRPs, including Adael Amador and Robert Calaz. Also fitting that category is former PuRP Dyan Jorge, whose all-around game except a lack of power is reminiscent of Andujar’s batting lines so far. Then again, Jorge didn’t even sign until he was 19 and didn’t make it to the ACL until he was 20, so Andujar has more runway ahead of him.

Andujar should be one of the youngest players in Low-A in 2026 and we’ll see if another offseason in the strength and conditioning program bears fruit for his power. He’s a long ways away, but his athleticism provides a good foundation for him as a potential regular, so long as he doesn’t end up a Punch-and-Judy hitter. The potential and performance so far were enough for me to rank Andujar 20th on my list in the 40 FV tier.

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Last year, the player I was the most optimistic about bouncing back from a tough season was Maikel Garcia. I didn’t foresee him taking a huge step forward, but you could see heading in 2025 that there were still lots of positives in his batted-ball profile despite the poor results. Garcia worked hard on his swing and made the changes necessary to unlock the potential that was present. Still, it was nice to see the ingredients that some of us thought were there could lead to a more productive season from Garcia than we had seen so far.

I don’t think there is as obvious a candidate for a bounce back in 2026 as there was last year with Garcia, but that’s a pretty lame article to write. Instead, I’m going to test my luck and argue that Jonathan India will be the Maikel Garcia of this year, at least when it comes to hitting well at the plate.

India needs to regain his form at the plate even more than Garcia did last year. Garcia finished with 1.2 fWAR in 2024 despite hitting 31% below league average, thanks to his above-average defense and excellent baserunning. Garcia turned in an excellent defensive and above-average base running campaign in 2025, which combined with his big step forward at the plate led to 5.6 fWAR and his first All-Star selection. India, meanwhile, was below replacement level in the field and running the bases. The second baseman hit just 11% below league average last year, but overall contributed a -0.3 fWAR.

Ideally, India’s defense will improve this season as he focuses solely on second base rather than bouncing between second, third, and left field, but he’s unlikely to become a defensive whiz at his age. So he really needs to produce at an above-average level to justify the Royals tendering him a contract this year. I’m not a Michael Massey believer, but there’s no arguing that Massey would be a better option in the dirt than India. The 29-year-old will also be a free agent at the end of the 2026 season, so there’s even more pressure for him to take a big leap forward with his bat.

There are other soft factors besides India being in a contract year that lead me to betting on India improving his performance. As previously mentioned, the Royals unsuccessfully tried to make India an outfielder last year, which could have had him focusing more on improving in left field instead of fixing his swing. He switched teams and cities, which is plenty to get adjusted to as a person. He went from a bandbox in Great American Ballpark to the spacious confines of Kauffman Stadium, which might have gotten into his head as a hitter. India took a 99-mile-per-hour fastball off the helmet at the start of the year last season. Thankfully, the pitch was non-concussive, but I wouldn’t blame India if he was just a touch slower in his reaction time while hitting after that moment.

The two biggest factors for why I like India to bounce back, however, are more analytical and similar to why Garcia seemed like a good candidate to rebound last year. First, he has an excellent eye and makes good contact, which are great and generally repeatable skills to have as a hitter. Second, India had a pretty obvious but seemingly fixable weakness as a hitter last season, which I, as a jabroni, was able to notice when looking through his Statcast data. If I’m able to see what he needs to improve, then the Royals and India are certainly able to see that as well and hopefully have him make the necessary changes to his swing to improve this year.

I wrote an article last May about India’s approach at the plate, and how refreshing it was to see as a Royals fan despite his overall struggles. That approach never left him, even though he didn’t hit well in 2025. India finished second on the team in walks (behind Maikel Garcia,) and his chase rate remained elite in 2025. The second baseman finished in the 97th percentile in chase rate, the best figure on the team.

India also makes excellent contact when he swings the bat. He had an above-average contact percentage, whether he swung at pitches inside the strike zone or outside the strike zone. His 82.5% contact percentage was well above the league-average mark of 76.9%, and placed him in the 78th percentile among all qualified hitters. India was less than one percentage point behind Vinnie Pasquantino in overall contact percentage, which surprised me when I looked through the data. Garcia was ahead of them both and in truly elite company when it comes to making contact, but India’s ability to make contact was still very good. Combine that with an elite batting eye, and you’ve got some quality ingredients to have a good hitter.

So what went wrong last year? In my view, India’s issue was the opposite of Garcia’s in 2024. Garcia hit too many groundballs that year, and needed to raise his launch angle to unlock his potential, which ended up happening. India’s launch angle in 2025, particularly on pitches at the top of the zone, was actually too high. His average launch angle of 17.1 degrees was the highest of his career and was a power hitter’s launch angle. Vinnie Paquantino had a 16.3 degree average launch angle in 2025, while Maikel Garcia had a 9.7 degree average launch angle.

The high launch angle contributed to India hitting too many flyballs and not enough line drives, which brought his BABIP to a career-low .279. India needs to stay on top of pitches at the top of the zone better in 2026; if he can make that change, he should post better hitting numbers this season.

Let’s look at some data from Baseball Savant, which shows us India’s launch angle in 2025 in certain parts of the strike zone:

As a reminder, 10-25 degrees is an ideal launch angle for line drives, while 25-35 degrees is a good launch angle for home run hitters. India had a great line drive swing in the middle third of the plate, but his approach in the upper-middle and upper-inside part of the plate led to a lot of flyballs. That might work as an approach if India had more power, but he’s an on-base guy and needs to focus more on hitting line drives. For India, a launch angle average of 30 and 33 degrees, respectively, is too high, and we would expect the results to be too many easy flyballs. That was the result for India last season, which comes into pretty clear focus when you break down results by their location in the strike zone.

The second baseman hit a fair number of flyballs in the middle of the zone, but still managed to hit enough line drives to get quality results. In the upper part of the zone, however, he was below average on line drive percentage, which is not surprising given his launch angle.

The results of too many flyballs and not enough line drives at the top of the zone were not good for India, which the Baseball Savant charts help make obvious.

India hit way too many pop-ups when he was challenged at the upper part of the strike zone. Popouts are almost always outs, which led to India’s terrible BABIP, batting average and expected batting average in the top third of the zone.

This pop-up issue has not always been a problem for India. His 2024 launch angle up in the zone was more line drive oriented:

Which led to more line drives, which we can see below:

Unsurprisingly, more line drives led to less pop outs, which led to better results as a hitter for India.

I’m not qualified to diagnose what was different about India’s swing this season and what needs to change, but the fact that he’s hit a lot of line drives at the top of the strike zone before tells us that he should be able to do it again. I’m trusting that the Royals’ hitting coaches, along with the second baseman himself, can figure out what he needs to do to flatten his swing out at the top of the strike zone. This should lead to him getting on base more often, which is exactly what the Royals offense needs from him.

India is at a crossroads. If he gets off to a slow start, the calls to replace him with Massey or someone else are going to come quickly and loudly. I’m willing to bet that the Royals and India are able to see what went wrong last season and get things fixed. If the second baseman is not popping out as much this year, the rest of his hitting profile makes him a great candidate to have a much better 2026 season than 2025.

Happy Friday A’s fans!

The A’s are inching closer and closer to the beginning of the season. First come pitchers and catchers reporting, then the position players, then spring games, and before we know it it’ll be Opening Day with the Athletics lining up on the first base line in Toronto listening to the national anthems of both countries.

Before then the A’s still have a small list of things to accomplish. Namely, adding a veteran starting pitcher that’s capable of eating innings would be a massive boost for a rotation short on certainty. There are still plenty of options for the A’s to choose from on the free agent market so it’s fair to assume the Athletics will bring in at least one more arm to help solidify the middle/back of the rotation. Who that will be is anyone’s guess but it’d be a major shock if that name was Zac Gallen. A lot of fans have been clamoring for the A’s to swoop in on a pitcher that has probably lingered on the market a lot longer than expected, but he’s attached to a Qualifying Offer and it’s almost a certainty the A’s wouldn’t surrender a second-round pick to add Gallen. Good news for the A’s is there are other starting options that won’t come with that attached to them and that’s who the front office is probably looking at hardest right now.

Then there’s the bullpen. Unlike with the starters, pretty much all of the quality free agent relievers have signed on with new teams for the coming year, with the A’s failing to land anyone notable other than middle reliever Mark Leiter Jr. earlier in the winter. His addition should help boost the floor of the bullpen but he’s not going to move the needle much for the unit as a whole this year. At this point the A’s will be asking for some of their younger guys to step up for the team. That didn’t work out so well last year but relievers are volatile and maybe the A’s have the best bullpen in the league and we just don’t know it yet (ha).

On the position side, third base is the obvious spot the team could upgrade (and came close to doing just that with a reported Nolan Arenado deal that was nixed at the last moment). The only starting-caliber player on the free agent market left is slugger Eugenio Suarez, and while he has tons of power that’s about all he offers and the A’s may not like that fit. There is always the trade market and with no long-term plan at the position the team could swing a trade for a controllable player such as Isaac Paredes of the division-rival Astros, Brett Baty of the Mets or Nolan Gorman of the Cardinals. The trade front seems the most likely path if the A’s aren’t prepared to let Max Muncy and Darell Hernaiz have the first crack at the hot corner.

After that we get into the real tinkering with the finer spots on the roster. The A’s are one of the teams interested in Miguel Andujar. That means the front office is looking for an upgrade over young outfielder Colby Thomas. That could end up being an actually significant move due to right fielder Lawrence Butler’s massive struggles against left-handed pitching this past season. Even though he’s signed to a massive contract, and the A’s will likely try to let him continue to get at-bats against lefties early in the coming campaign, there could be more outfield at-bats to be had for anyone that comes aboard if he doesn’t show some progress against same-handed pitching.

There’s still time to do at least one of those things and likely two, depending on how aggressive the front office wants to upgrade this roster. Will we see one more move before the team starts getting together, or is what we have what we got going into camp? We’ll be finding out the answer to that question soon enough. Baseball is almost back.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

A’s Coverage:

• Blogfather Sabotages Own Wins Over Replacement Hip (And A’s Stuff)
• Athletics Community Prospect List: Lin Rockets Up To #4
• Wilson ready to parlay busy offseason into 2026 success
• De Vries (No. 4 overall) leads Athletics trio on Top 100 Prospects list
• After monster stats as rookie, Nick Kurtz has a new number in mind: 162
• Projecting Nick Kurtz after Rookie of the Year campaign
• Analysts say this A’s outfielder could follow Pete Crow-Armstrong’s breakout path
• Two players the A’s can steal from the Colorado Rockies
• A’s prospect Mason Barnett has an atypical arm angle and an old school approach
• Happy 104th, Betty White!
• Polarizing Prospects: #2, Junior Perez

MLB News and Interest:

• 8 teams that could have some big moves up their sleeves
• Mets sign reliever Craig Kimbrel, catcher Austin Barnes to minor league deals
• Astros acquire swingman Kai-Wei Teng in trade with Giants
• Astros designate pitcher JP France for assignment
• Padres sign veteran starter Marco Gonzalez to minors pact
• Angels designate Osvaldo Bido for assignment
• Today in baseball history

Best of X:

New ballpark progress account for those that want to follow the stadium’s progress:

Will the A’s have a selected closer on Opening Day? Or is it committee approach again:

Almost certainly won’t be exactly how it ends up but maybe Harris actually will lead the team in saves?

It’s starting to feel bad to see this happen to him:

Imagine if the A’s had Skenes (though it’d cost Jacob Wilson):

There are 365 days in a year, with a Yankee born on each of them over the years. Recounting each of these 365 days may not always bring us a Ruth or a Jeter; sometimes we may spend a day looking back on the likes of a Hipólito Peña. It is no small feat to play in Major League Baseball, let alone stick around for a few years. And even with over 23,000 players to grace a big league diamond, each one is an accomplishment on its own. Indeed, Peña was the fourth Dominican-born pitcher in Yankees history, appearing near the beginning of a familiar lineage that would later lead to bigger names like Luis Severino and Michael Pineda.

Peña’s run, however statistically insignificant, rings all the same. I remember reading a general outlook on life that I liked quite a bit — that so many buildings or homes you drive by, movies you see or design decisions, could be the culmination of someone’s life work. Anything of that magnitude is probably worth giving at least a little attention to, as we’ll do right now.

Hipólito PeñaConcepción
Born: January 30, 1964 (Fantino, Dominican Republic)
Yankees Tenure: 1988

Born in the Dominican Republic on this day 62 years ago, Hipólito Peña was first signed to play professionally in the States in 1981 by the Brewers. After three seasons toiling in the Milwaukee system, Peña was released by the Brew Crew.

In June of 1984, nearly a year after being dropped by Milwaukee, Peña was signed to pitch by the Pirates. The lefty pitched well in 16.1 innings of work in rookie ball, and remained in the organization for the ‘85 season. That year, still just 21-years-old, Peña continued to pitch fairly well in affiliated ball, particularly with Pittsburgh’s A-ball team, with whom he managed a sub-3 ERA across 44 innings of work.

In September of 1986, after continuing to plug away in the minor leagues, Peña got the call to the big club and made his MLB debut. He was perfect in one inning against the Reds, striking out a batter in the process. The rest of his season with the Pirates would not be so good, as he’d finish out the year allowing eight earned runs across 8.1 innings of total work.

Despite the forgettable showing, he returned for a slightly more sizeable role for the Pirates in ‘87, tossing 25.2 innings with up-and-down results. Even with the unconvincing numbers, there may have been enough to keep Peña in the Majors for a bit longer.

Just prior to the beginning of the 1988 season, the left-handed hurler was traded to the Yankees in exchange for first baseman Orestes Destrade, as they were intrigued by his stuff and thought that he might have something to offer. Peña spent much of the year with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers and thus saw only limited action in the Bronx that season (primarily in September), but actually pitched quite well. In 14.1 innings of work, he managed a 3.14 ERA, and struck out 10 opposing batters along the way. The clip below is from his Yankees debut in Oakland on June 1, 1988.

Unfortunately for him, his time in pinstripes would also be his final action in The Show. It was short-lived, but his time in New York was easily his best work at baseball’s highest level.

Peña would stick around in the Yankees organization until 1991, and continued to pitch in affiliated ball through ‘92. The lefty even pitched in independent leagues through his age-32 campaign in 1996.

In the grand scheme of league history, Hipólito Peña may not have been statistically or historically significant, but it was a baseball career that reached the peak. After years of hard work, Peña competed with the best the game had to offer, and perhaps found himself pitching at a fan’s first ever big-league game, or against an all-time great. Baseball’s rock-solid history of record-keeping helps to preserve a career like this, as without much photo of video evidence at all of Peña’s career, it’s good to know that all his work led him to the game’s top level.

Here’s to wishing him a happy 62nd!

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

As I drained my bank account and clicked “purchase” on a set of tickets to Rush’s Fifty Something tour stop in Cleveland, an idea blossomed. Since lead singer/bass player Geddy Lee is such a big baseball fan, there’s got to be some way I can tie my favorite band in with my favorite pastime. Then it hit me – which Rush album is each MLB team most like? Granted, Rush hasn’t put out 30 studio albums, but I threw in a couple of live albums to make it work. Let it be known that I am no expert on the band, nor am I an expert on every MLB team. I simply took my personal thoughts towards each album and each team alongside some critical commentary, and this is what I came up with. They are in reverse order of release date.

R40 – Seattle Mariners
As far as live albums go, this one is pretty widely liked by fans. I believe that to be true of the Mariners as well, assuming you’re not a fan of any other AL West team. Both the album and the team are cohesive units – R40 covering all 40 years of the band’s recording existence, and the Mariners having successful players on the pitching, hitting, and fielding sides of things. There’s something for everyone in this album and in this team.

Clockwork Angels Live – Texas Rangers
I felt that Clockwork Angels Live and R40 were pretty similar, but that the former was missing just a little something that the latter has. It’s almost cohesive, it just misses the mark on a few songs since the entire first half of the show is focused on one album (I know that is the point of the tour, and I personally enjoy it). Like the album, the Texas Rangers found success for a short amount of time in 2023 before they were overshadowed by the Mariners (R40) in the following years.

Clockwork Angels – Los Angeles Dodgers
In the band’s eyes, this album is perfection. It’s what they’d worked almost forty years to produce. It has a story, it has meaning, and it just sounds good. This is where they found the sixth cylinder. In MLB’s eyes (and their fans), the Dodgers are perfection. Contributing to the highest payroll in the sport, stars like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman have made the Dodgers the most successful team of this decade. And since it was their only studio album released in the 2010s, Clockwork Angels can say the same.

Time Machine – St. Louis Cardinals
I’ll be honest, this one might be a bit of a stretch. I truly just have no connection to the St. Louis Cardinals. However, I feel like they are most like the 2011 Time Machine tour album in that they span almost the entire history of MLB, officially becoming a major league team in 1882. The same can be said of Time Machine, a tour that covered most of the band’s entire history up until just before their final studio album was released.

Snakes & Arrows Live – Milwaukee Brewers
This live album (obviously) is heavy on tracks from Snakes & Arrows, but it also has a surprising amount of deep cuts and underrated tracks. This reminds me of the Milwaukee Brewers in that they rely heavily on their stars like Christian Yelich and Jacob Misiorowski, but they also have a lot of underrated talent like Andrew Vaughn and Trevor Megill that have the potential to contribute in a big way this season.

Snakes & Arrows – New York Mets
This is where Rush almost got it right. They were firing on five cylinders, just missing one piece to make perfection. The Mets are in the same boat. They’ve got most of the pieces, they just haven’t been able to put them together to win a World Series. While they’ve got one of the largest payrolls in MLB, that has resulted in one of the lowest revenues. Snakes & Arrows was Rush’s second worst performing studio album in terms of sales. Both the album and the team are really good, they just aren’t the best.

R30 – Detroit Tigers
This is another personal choice simply because I don’t really listen to this album all that much. It’s by far the live album that I listen to the least. Now I’m not saying I don’t watch the Tigers much, I’m pretty much forced to, but I certainly don’t want to watch them often. Between the way certain hitters are a thorn in the Guardians’ side and facing one of the best pitchers of the decade, I’ll go ahead and skip this one most days like I do R30.

Feedback – San Francisco Giants
All I can say about this album is that they tried. It’s an album full of covers of songs that made Rush who they are, and I appreciate them wanting to show respect to those artists. However, not many others feel that way judging by the fact that it was one of their worst-selling releases. That’s not to say people don’t like the Giants or that they don’t sell seats, however, they’ve also not been able to find much success lately. They had one good season in 2021, but have been third or worse in the division since. Much like Feedback, though, I really appreciate this team and find them to be the National League team I keep tabs on most.

Rush in Rio – Arizona Diamondbacks
This one might be a stretch, but it might make sense if I explain it enough… The concert that was recorded and filmed for Rush in Rio was one of their most widely attended shows. Over 40,000 people gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the third show of the band’s first appearance in the country. The Brazilian fans had waited almost 30 years to see the band, and they really showed up for it. This is quite similar to how baseball fans in Arizona had to wait years and years for a professional baseball team. When they finally got one, they showed up just like the Brazilian Rush fans. The inaugural season for the Diamondbacks in 1998 was the ninth most attended season for any MLB team, bringing in 3,610,290 fans.

Vapor Trails – Los Angeles Angels
Vapor Trails was Rush’s first studio release after drummer Neil Peart’s tragic losses of his daughter and wife just 10 months apart. It follows Neil’s journey of finding himself again and finding the strength to return to music after such tragedy. I think this album would really resonate with Angels fans and players who were devastated by the loss of pitcher Tyler Skaggs. Skaggs was one of my favorite non-Guardians players, and it was truly difficult for me to watch Angels games after losing him. However, it made the team stronger and brought them together, resulting in a combined no-hitter just days after. “Nothing can stop you now.”

Different Stages – Miami Marlins
Similarly to Vapor Trails, Different Stages was Rush’s first piece of work released after the tragedies. Peart was not heavily involved in this live release, but allowed Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson to put in the work for it. The album was dedicated to the memory of Peart’s daughter and wife. This theme of working hard in the face of tragedy really made me think of the Marlins. They went through the devastating loss of pitcher José Fernández in 2016, and had to go right back to playing baseball. Much like the Angels, they were made stronger by this tragedy and won the first game they played after his death. This included an extremely emotional home run by Dee Strange-Gordon, his first of the season, that came right after he paid tribute to his friend at home plate. Both the home run and the album were emotional tributes to lost friends.

Test for Echo – Chicago White Sox
Widely known as the worst Rush album among fans, this one just wasn’t successful. It is among their worst selling albums, and people honestly just like to forget it exists (except for me, I love this album). The same can be said of the poor Chicago White Sox, the consistent fifth place team in the AL Central. They even broke the record for most losses in the Modern Era in 2024 with 121… Granted, they’ve had quite a busy offseason, and I’m excited to see if they can actually perform this season, but I’m about as confident in that as I am in seeing any Test for Echo songs on the upcoming tour.

Counterparts – Atlanta Braves
Counterparts is widely known as Rush’s heaviest album. That immediately made me think of the Atlanta Braves because of the numerous “heavy hitters” they have, both on the hitting and pitching side. Hitters like Ronald Acuña Jr. (.524 career SLG) and Matt Olson (.508 career SLG) headline the offensive lineup while pitchers like Chris Sale (94.8 mph fastball) and Spencer Strider (95.5 mph fastball) are the stars of the rotation. A notable theme of this album is “doing the right thing” which is something that is constantly surrounding the Braves. Letting go of the long-outdated “chop” in the stands would be doing the right thing, something the team and fans could learn from a 90’s rock album.

Roll the Bones – Minnesota Twins
This one was hard for me because I adore this album. I do not adore the Minnesota Twins. As a matter of fact, I really don’t like the Minnesota Twins. The connection I’m making here is that a lot of die-hard fans did not like Roll the Bones when it was released. The “rap” in the title song turned many fans away, but some eventually learned to enjoy the album. While I can’t say I’ve learned to enjoy the Twins, I can certainly understand the draw behind some of their players such as Joe Ryan or Byron Buxton. They seem like good people who really enjoy playing for their city.

Presto – Toronto Blue Jays
I knew I had to choose wisely for this team, because it is Geddy Lee’s favorite team and the reason he is such a devout baseball fan. I’m not 100% confident that other Rush fans will agree here, but Presto is special to me in a way that I felt deserved this spot. To me, it’s the definition of a hidden gem. This album was almost successful, just like the Blue Jays have been in recent years. It has a lot of upbeat songs, reminding me of the fun the Jays have in the dugout. Additionally, the album art is just as adorable as this team.

A Show of Hands – Chicago Cubs
This one pains me to write. This is my favorite live album, but I’m sure you all know that the Cubs are one of my least favorite baseball teams. So how does this make sense? Well, it has to do with the live aspect. I have attended two games at Wrigley Field, and it is by far my favorite live game experience outside of Cleveland. The stadium is just as beautiful as people say, and other than some minor heckling for my Guardians gear, I felt very comfortable there. I’d be just as happy to sit in the left field bleachers and watch a game here as I would be to sit on my couch and watch this concert film.

Hold Your Fire – Boston Red Sox
Hold Your Fire is, to me, a consistently good album. I never don’t want to listen to it. The Boston Red Sox are just as consistent, sitting around or above .500 in recent seasons. While those “around .500” seasons resulted in fourth or fifth place, it is because they are stuck in one of the most competitive divisions in MLB. Now, this album is often ranked near the bottom of fans’ tier-lists because of a few bad apples like Tai Shan. The same could be said of the Red Sox who are often brought down by their bad apples (cough Jarren Duran and Aroldis Chapman cough). However, there are also some real stars on this album (Lock and Key and Time Stand Still), just like how there is in Boston (Roman Anthony and Connelly Early).

Power Windows – Colorado Rockies
I had a hard time picking this one because, like most of the other albums on here, I love Power Windows while a lot of other fans don’t. Some say it sticks out like a sore thumb as the band began their transition into a synth-heavy era. While I don’t agree with that, I can compare it to the Colorado Rockies who most definitely do stick out like a sore thumb. Consistently last in the AL West, the Rockies just can’t seem to put a cohesive product on the field behind their few stars. Many would say that was true of Power Windows, as you won’t see this album at the top of anybody’s favorites list.

Grace Under Pressure – San Diego Padres
This is much more of a personal choice, as I believe this is the Rush album that had the most to live up to. It was the band’s first release after my favorite album, and while I wasn’t there to worry about how it would sound prior to its release, I do presently think that it lived up to the hype (that I put on it). I also think that the Padres have a lot to live up to since they have a lot of big names and are always so close to winning the division. However, there’s always the #1 (Dodgers) standing in the way. However much I love this album, it will never be my #1.

Signals – Cleveland Guardians
This one is too easy. My favorite Rush album is Signals, my favorite baseball team is the Cleveland Guardians. This album has one of the band’s most successful songs, Subdivisions, but also has some amazing underrated masterpieces like my all-time favorite, Losing It. This is just like how the Guardians have one of MLB’s most successful players, José Ramírez, but also have a lot of underrated stars like Steven Kwan and Gavin Williams. Both the album and the team have been quite successful, yet somehow have never become mainstream. Which is a good thing – I want to keep them both to myself.

Exit… Stage Left – Baltimore Orioles
This is Rush’s most iconic and successful live album. This made me think of the Baltimore Orioles, specifically Camden Yards. One of the most iconic fields in baseball, this is the number one place I want to see a baseball game live.

Moving Pictures – New York Yankees
Rush’s most commercially successful album, Moving Pictures has sold over five million copies in the United States. The album brought in five platinum certifications and is the band’s most award-winning release. It only makes sense that this album would be the 27-time world champion New York Yankees. While they may not currently be the most successful team in baseball, it’s going to be a long time before anyone even comes close to matching their 27 rings. I don’t think another Rush album will ever top Moving Pictures’ figures, as the second-place figure is a whopping 2.2 million sales behind.

Permanent Waves – Philadelphia Phillies
This is another consistently good album, much like the Phillies who have been consistently good in recent years. Permanent Waves was one of the band’s best-selling albums, and that success can be mirrored by the Phils as well. They’ve won the AL East the last two seasons and haven’t fared worse than third since 2019. In my humble opinion, this album has no skips, and I think the same can be said of the Phillies. When .263/.371/.324 hitter Justin Crawford is your nine hitter, things can’t be so bad in the one-through-eight spots.

Hemispheres – Oakland Athletics
This album and team both tell quite the story. Hemispheres opens with an 18-minute epic about conflict and resolution in a mythological universe. While the story of the Oakland Athletics isn’t that exciting, it is most definitely a rich and storied history. Neither this album nor this team have ever been mainstream popular, those who love them really love them. That was proven when fans showed up and sold out the final game at the Oakland Coliseum in 2024. There’s no clear path as to where the Athletics’ story will go next, but it’s very interesting to be living through their first chapters.

A Farewell to Kings – Kansas City Royals
This one sort of wrote itself. Kings… Royals… It just makes sense, but it does go a bit deeper than that. This album is extremely underrated and is very far ahead of its time. Much like the Royals, this album has a few standouts that you’ve probably heard of before (Xanadu / Bobby Witt Jr.), but also has some hidden gems that even fans of the band may not have even heard of (Madrigal / Lucas Erceg).

All the World’s A Stage – Pittsburgh Pirates
Rush has released a lot of live albums and live versions of songs, but All the World’s A Stage was their first. I wanted to connect this album to the team that was broadcast on television first, but both of their spots were already taken. However, this lined up pretty well as the Pittsburgh Pirates were the first team to be broadcast on radio. This was the first time that Rush fans could hear their favorite band perform live without actually being there, and the first time that Pittsburgh Pirates fans could listen to their team play ball without actually being there.

2112 – Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are consistently known as one of the most progressive teams in baseball when it comes to scouting. Rush as a whole is one of the most progressive rock bands of all time, but this album in particular is one of the most iconic prog rock albums of all time. Both 2112 and the Rays had broken the mold with 20-minute songs and strategizing a draft like no other team ever had, and they’ve both found success because of it. 2112 is Rush’s second-highest selling album with 3.3 million copies in the U.S., and the Tampa Bay Rays are consistently at the top of MLB with their number of top 100 prospects.

Caress of Steel – Houston Astros
Caress of Steel is widely known as one of the most hated Rush albums. After their initial success with their first two albums, Caress set the band backwards. What MLB team has been more hated in recent years than the Houston Astros? They found success in 2017 and 2022 with World Series wins, but it’s been completely overshadowed by their cheating scandal. However, it gets to a point where you have to move on. The Astros are consistently winning the AL West or coming in second, and they’re almost certainly not still cheating to do so. I think it’s also time to move on from the Caress of Steel hate. While a 12-minute epic about a dark sorcerer isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, it’s still a damn good rock song.

Fly By Night – Washington Nationals
Perhaps the most notable transformation an MLB team has seen, the Montréal Expos became the Washington Nationals on November 22, 2004. Fly By Night was also a notable transition for Rush. No longer were they the school-dance-playing rock band with John Rutsey, they were now the progressive, kimono-wearing band we know today with Neil Peart. Much like the Expos moved on from their old image, the band moved on from their mainstream-rock image and began playing what they wanted to play.

Rush – Cincinnati Reds
This one feels obvious in more ways than one. Rush’s self-titled album was their first official release, and the Cincinnati Red Stockings were the first professional baseball team. Both the album and the team marked the beginning of two of my favorite things in this world. They both look quite different now than they did when they started – Rush’s first drummer (and their image as a whole) was replaced by Peart after this album, and MLB now has 29 more teams and a wealth of new rules. Oh, and the album was originally released with a red font.

Hello one and all, and happy Friday! It’s time to dig into the latest baseball news.

In Mariners news…

• Michael Baumann at Fangraphs looked at the sad state of platoon player options still available on the free agent market, and praised the Mariners for locking up Rob Refsnyder while they could.
• Shannon Drayer made the case for 2026 to be Julio Rodríguez’s big year.
• The To Love a Mariner podcast kicked off their fifth season by bringing on Lookout Landing alum Amanda Lane Cumming to break down the classic Mariners home videos You Gotta Love These Guys (1996) and Sweet 116 (2001).

Around the league…

• The Astros acquired righty reliever Kai-Wei Teng in a swap with the Giants.
• The Mets have agreed to a minor league deal with veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel.
• NBC has agreed to a broadcasting contract with Joey Votto, where he will join fellow 2010s stars Anthony Rizzo and Clayton Kershaw.
• Former Mariners left-hander Marco Gonzales landed himself a minor league agreement with the Padres.
• Kiley McDaniel at ESPN ranked the 30 farm systems in baseball. Keith Law at The Athletic did the same, providing a rosier perspective on the Baby M’s. ($)

It is never fair to blame a team’s collapse on a single player, let alone one as otherwise likeable as Cedric Mullins, who ultimately was a pretty small cog in the grand scheme of the spectacular failure that was the 2025 season. But if there is a player who came to symbolize—justly or not—that failure, it’s Mullins. After Jose Siri spent most of the season sidelined by injury and Tyrone Taylor underperformed, the Mets were desperate to upgrade at the center field position at the deadline and landed on Mullins as the solution, dealing three minor league arms to Baltimore in exchange for his services.

As a Mets fan who lived in Baltimore for much of the 2010s and saw the passing of the torch from Adam Jones to Cedric Mullins firsthand, I admit that I was probably higher on the trade at the time than most. I knew the dynamic and fun player Mullins was capable of being when he was on. But that is not the version of Cedric Mullins that Mets fans were exposed to and it is hard to classify the trade any other way except as an unambiguous failure.

A lifelong Oriole until that point, Mullins had to leave the organization where he had spent a decade of his life and come to a team in the midst of a playoff run in one of the biggest markets in the country. Mullins recently admitted on “Foul Territory” that it was a difficult adjustment for him. “It hit pretty hard, having to uplift your entire life,” he said. “Especially out in New York, where things can get hectic on a day-to-day basis. It was definitely a lot of changes and adjustments that had to be made, along with trying to perform at your best.” He also spoke about the challenge of trying to complement an already talented roster and putting pressure on himself to perform.

Of course, it is impossible to know how much these mental challenges contributed to his subpar output on the field. Understanding the context of his struggles can make one sympathetic to the player, but unfortunately it does not change the reality of the numbers. I don’t need to repeat them here to anyone who watched the 2025 Mets in the second half, but I will for the sake of completeness. In 143 plate appearances for the Mets, Mullins hit .182/.284/.281 with a 66 wRC+. He logged just seven extra-base hits, scored 16 runs, drove in 10 runs, and stole eight bases (while not getting caught once; that is one thing that was promised on which he delivered). But even seeing these disastrous offensive numbers doesn’t tell the full story. A normally at least capable center fielder, Mullins also made several costly mistakes on the field that were magnified by being on a team struggling with run prevention where every run mattered.

Mullins’ hardships were so profound, in fact, that by September he was more or less relegated to the bench in favor of a resurgent Tyrone Taylor, who had a strong August and September. We all remember what happened after that. The Mets fell just short of the playoffs and Mullins absorbed an outsized amount of ire for it from the fanbase. Now, Mullins and the Mets go their separate ways—hopefully to the benefit of both. The Mets now turn to Luis Robert Jr.—another player who had spent his entire career with another organization until this point who the Mets had their eye on at the deadline last season—to try to solve their center field problem. If healthy, Robert probably has a better chance to recapture his past performance than Mullins ever did; he is younger, he has better tools, and underlying indicators of his athleticism remain present. As for Mullins, he returns to the familiar AL East with the Tampa Bay Rays on a one-year, $8 million deal. His role will not be in question and the pressure he experienced in New York will certainly be alleviated to some extent. Unfortunately, Cedric Mullins’ New York Mets tenure becomes a footnote that both the player and the team would likely rather forget.

A couple of weeks ago, I posted this article noting that former Cub Anthony Rizzo was being considered by NBC as an analyst as the network returns to national baseball broadcasts in 2026.

Now, per Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, Rizzo is, in fact, going to join the network:

The outgoing Rizzo has been the most aggressive about seeking a post-baseball media career. The 36-year-old former Yankee star was a hit with the media in the tough New York market. 

“Rizz played the New York media better than anybody—and that’s not easy,” one source previously told FOS. “He always had a smile on his face.”

As we know from Rizzo’s decade with the Cubs, he always had a smile on his face while here and became the face of the franchise as they won the 2016 World Series. If you were at the Cubs Convention this month (and managed to get into the sessions) or watched the Convention via Marquee Sports Network, you know that Rizzo was funny, glib and engaging while talking about that World Series year and other happenings while he was a Cub.

It’s not clear exactly what role Rizzo will have with NBC, though this article indicates that he could be part of a trio along with former Dodger Clayton Kershaw and former Reds star Joey Votto, both of whom were also hired by NBC. Kershaw, per the Front Office Sports article, is expected to work a “limited schedule.” As for Votto:

As one sports TV producer previously told FOS about Votto, who spent 17 years with the Reds: “Joey Votto is, in my opinion, a no-brainer. He’s an MVP. He has a national name. He’s a natural in front of the camera.” Added another media source: “If NBC wants to make a splash with Sunday Night Baseball, Joey would be perfect.”

Having Rizzo, Kershaw and Votto as part of Sunday Night Baseball’s pre-game show would be must-see TV for any baseball fan. Or, any or all of them could wind up as a game analyst at times.

So far, NBC has done all the right things in returning to national baseball broadcasting for the first time in more than 25 years. There have been rumors that the network is trying to engage Jason Benetti as their lead broadcaster for Sunday Night Baseball, which would also be an outstanding choice.

You’ll also likely see Rizzo around Wrigley Field fairly often in his role as a Cubs ambassador, and the team does have plans to have a 10th anniversary celebration of the 2016 World Series team at some point this year, though a date has not been announced.

The Cubs are scheduled to appear three times on SNB: May 31 vs. the Cardinals at St. Louis, June 7 vs. the Giants at Wrigley Field and Aug. 30 vs. the Reds at Wrigley Field. The Cubs vs. Cardinals game at Wrigley Field Sunday, July 5 will be carried by Peacock as part of NBC’s “Star-Spangled Sunday.”